Dump body tractor



4 Sheets-Sheet 2 F. H. LAMB DUMP BODY TRACTOR Filed-Feb. 5; 1932 ApriH 9, 1935.

DUMP BODY TRACTOR Filed Feb. 5, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR /L7?F7NK H LAMB A TTORNE Y5" April 9, 1935. F. H. LAMB DUMP BODY .TRAcToR Filed Feb. 5, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Apr. 9, 1935 1,997,000 7 DUMP BODY TRACTOR I i Frank HQ Lamb, Hoquiam, Wash, 7 Application February .5, 1932, Serial No. 31,012

' soi ims. "(01. 208-22) This invention relates to improvements in trac- Figure 1a is a detail. showing the body-mounttors' and it has reference in particular to dump hinge a d t ve p i o s W the y body tractors; it being the principal object of is lowered. I j the present invention toprovide a fast moving v:Figure 2 is afl-planview of the tractor, parts 5 and easily controlled load carrying "tractor' of of the transmission gearing being indicated in 5.

the track laying type, and equipped with a'body dotted lines, and parts being omitted for better mountedv for end dumping and with hydraulic illustration. I y 1 mechanism operable by the tractor engineto Figure 3 is a p w efva D 9 the e efl'ect a positively controlled'movement of the to p a y illustratlng. the body du p 10 body between dumping and load carrying posimechanism; this view being taken substantially 10 m 1 I on the line 33 in Figure 4rwhenithe body is in It is also an'object of the invention to-provide dumped position. 1 body mounting means of novel ccnstructiompro- Figure 18 S 818 M 0 Oil-the P 'a Shown viding for the rocking cf the body rearwardly on n Figure 15: a swinging hinge support during a dumping 'op- Figure 5 is a cross sectional detail of the con- 15 oration, thereby to effect dumping without caus- Ol Valve for hy u c y nder. ing any material lifting of" the load and also 'Fi ure 6 is a r s ion vi wi lu ra n th eliminating uncertain gravity-action and its det- OSS Supports for the forward end of the d p rimental'effect. Furthermore, the provision of body'and their relation when the" body is low- 0, a construction which incidentally reduces the ered.

power required for dumping and, at the same B fly described, the P t invention emtime, speeds up the dumping action. i bodies a dump tractor of the track laying type,

Another object of the invention is to provide The tracks'are of continuous belt form and are body dumping mechanism whereby the body may of substantial width and the track carrying be held positively at any adjusted position and frames on which; they'operate are Jpiv0ta1ly to so construct the body that, when secured in mounted -epp sid 0f the ma aet dumping position, the rear end wall thereof may frame in a. manner to permit of the necessary banged a a, b1 d for grading and'leveling opflexibility for satisfactory operation of the traceratlons. Furthermore, when so used, the swing tor over uneven ground. The engine for driving 0; ing hinge support for the body provides for a'certhe tractor and. from which the dumping mechatain. vertical adjustment of the blade thatis esnism is Ope is mounted What W be peciallydesirable in leveling off or' carrying on termed the forward end of the main tractor what is commonly known as bulldozingf; frame, leaving the remaining part clear for the It is a further object of the present invention mounting th 0f the p y- The y 35, to provide a tractor of the above stated chars dumping mechanism is "located within the frame acter that is operable at the same different speeds and directly beneath the body and it includes in either direction, and to provide an operators a hydraulic cylinder with a pump connected station adjacent one side of the engine and well thereto which is operated, under control of a to one side ofthe main frame from which the manuallyset clutch connection, from the vehicle's operator'may have an unobstructed view of the engine. The various controls for the engine and 40 roadway and work'being done while operating those for the speed-transmission and also those in either direction, without requiring'that he for the dumping mechanism are preferably 10- change position in the seat. cated adjacent the operators station, which, as

Other objects of the invention reside in the stated in the objects of the invention, is located at details of construction of the various parts, in one side of the engine and well over one side of 45 their combination and mode of operation, as will the frame, in order to give the operator a clear hereinafter be fully described. r view of the roadway andwork being done with In accomplishing these and other objects of the tractor moving in either a forward or rearthe invention, 1 have provided the improved deward direction. The dump body is actuated by UNITED A S. A E T [OFFICE tails of construction, the preferred forms of movement of the piston of the hydraulic cylinder 50 I which are illustrated in the accompanying drawand it pivots about a swinging hinge in a novel ings, whereinmanner, as will later'be fully described.

, Figure 1 is a side elevation ofa load carry Referring morein'detail' to the drawingsing tractor with dump body and control mecha- The main frame structure of the tractor innism asiembodied by the present invention. eludes the opposite longitudinalside beams l-l 5 with suitable cross connections, rigidly joining them. The side beams are rigidly secured at their rearward ends to a closed housing 3 within which the change speed and power transmission gearing and'control devices, not illustrated in detail, are

. located. The mounting frames 4-4 for the track belts are located at oppositesides of the main frame, lengthwise thereof and have ends pivotally mounted'on the opposite ends of a substantial shaft 6 which extends transversely through the housing 3as a 'supportfor the rear end of the tractor. At their forward ends, the track frames support'the main frame through the medium of spring suspensions of a suitable form, as 'designated at I, which permit the necessary movement vertically of the track frames with respect to each other and to the mainframe, thus to acr for operation of the vehicle. at various speeds inlike manner in either direction and the guiding 1 f plication.

speeds.)

comniodate the tracks for travel on uneven surfaces without unusual strain on the various mountings ;or frames. The track belts 8 are mounted [for travel about 'theframes 4+4 on wheels 9 and ID; the wheels 9 being the track driving wheels. Between the wheels 9 and 10, which are mounted at opposite ends of, the

frames, theflower runs of the track belts are .guidedbyiand operate against a plurality ofidler' wheels H and the upper runs of the tracks are supported'by idler wheels l2.. .A spring adjusted beltntightener, as'at f I 3, is associated with each trackto automatically take up slack' that is incident to any elongation of the track belts; V

A detailed description of the trackconstruction is "not included in the present application sinceit will be the subject matter of a separate patent ap- The drive wheels 9 for the two track belts are mounted at the outer ends of the differential axlesl4-l4 which are driven by differential gearing, designated at I5, operated through the transmission mechanism in the housing 3, by a drive shaft extended from the vehicle's ;engine,in. the usual ;manner. The transmission mechanism, Whilenot shown in detail,-. preferably provides and turning of the vehicle -is accomplished by driving the tracks at thesameor at different In order that. the operator-of the tractor may have a-clearview. of .the work being done and a the roadway when operatingfthe tractor in either directioman operators platform I1 is supported fromthe" main frame atoneside of the engine.

This platform is locatedwellover one side of the r frame and the operator at this station has easy access tothe various controls for the tractor and they dumping mechanism. The drivers seat Ila on this platform is placed facing the engine so that the driver need onlyturn his head sidewaysj to see either, fOIWflIdlYIOl rearwardly of the,

tractor. No turning in the. seat is necessary.

The principal objects-of the present invention,

' however, reside in the dump body construction,

its'mou-nting and in the dumping mechanism. As seen best'in Figure 4, the dump bodygl8 is of box-like construction withsloping front and rear end walls I80. and I8band with opposite side walls 18c and bottom wall l8d; all ,of which are lined with-sheet metal, as at ,I8f. The upward swinging end of the body, is supported from the main frame approximately medially of the ends 2 of the frame and the rear end of the body is attachedby a special hingeto the rearend portion of the transmission housing 3 the means of makingthe hinged'connection comprises a hinge leaf 20 which extends transversely of the body and at its outer edge has pivotal connections, as at 2|, with brackets 22 that are fixed tothe rear end portion of the body, and at the ends of its lower edge, the hinge has pivotal connections, as at 23, with flanges 24 that are fixed to or cast as a part of the housing 3. A pair of body lifting'rollers 25-25 are mounted by supports 26 fixed to the underside of the body, forwardly of the brackets 22. These rollers are mounted for travel upon tracks 2l2| that are cast on or fastened to the transmission housing 3. These tracks slope upwardly, in like degree, from their forward ends toward their rear- -ward ends, as seen in Figures 1a and 4, and at their forward ends are formed with upwardly curved ends 21a providing seats 28 within which the rollers 25 rest when the body is in a lowered position, as seen in Figure 1a.

At its forward, or swinging end, the body has a transverse bar 30 securely fastenedgto its under wall and this is provided .at its ends with downwardly extending guide lugs 3| and just within these lugsthe bar has 'seats,3 2 formed therein. This bar 30 is adapted to cooperate with a transverse bar 34 fixedv between-theopposite side beams of the mainframe, as a support for the forwardend, of the body. The bar 34 has bosses 35;at its ends which engage within the seats 32 ,when the body is lowered and guide lugs 3| engage with these bosses to prevent lateral movement of this end of the body especially when loaded."

. I Movement of the body between itsload carrying and dumping positions is effected by a dumping mechanism comprising a hydraulic cylinder 40 that is mounted lengthwise of'the main frame below the body; the cylinder being supported at its forward end within the cross bar 34 ,and at its other end by a bracket 4 IV thatis rigidly attached to the forward end of the transmission housingp3.

extendedrearwardly therefrom through the :rear end iof'the cylinder. The outerend of the piston rod connects with a cross head 44slidable in guides 4545:that are fixed upon the top of the transmission housing. A pair of links 46.146 pivotally connect the. cross head with a bracket 41 fastened tothe under side: of the body substantially inalinement with the rollers 25. A'liquid pressure medium fillsthe cylinder.

and a pump 50 is employed to pump thisfmedium' from one end of the cylinder into the other to move the piston inwardly or outwardly for the purpose. of lowering or dumpingthe body. The pump may be anysuitable type and is driven by a 'sprocketchain belt 5| operating about "a sprocket wheel 50'on the pump shaft and a sprocket 52 on across shaft 53 which has-a driving connec-.

tion,'as indicated at 54 in Figure 2, with the envalve member BI is connected by a lever arm 62 'Within the cylinder is a piston 42 havingfa rod 43 and rod 63 with a hand lever 54 adjacent the operators position A I Telescopic struts or braces are pivotally connected to the rear end of the transmission housing as at 12 and to brackets 13 fixed to the rear end wall of the body to brace the body when it has reached its limit of movement toward dumping position. These struts comprise tubular outer sections 10 and rods 15 that telescope therein.

Nuts I6 are adjusted on the rods to limit their telescopic movement inwardly. Also, springs as at 18 may be included within the tubular sections about the rods 15 to act against nuts 19 on the latter to cushion the movement of the body.

With the machine so constructed, and with the body in position, as in Figure 1, and assuming that it has been loaded and that it is desiredto dump the load, the operator throws the pump into gear with the valve set to pump liquid from the rearward end of the cylinder 40 into the forward end. This causes the piston 42 to be moved rearwardly, and through the rod 43 and links 46 to shift the body rearwardly. As the body moves rearwardly the hinge link connection causes the rear end of the body to be swung downwardly while at the same time the rollers moving rearwardly and up the inclined tracks 21, through the forward end of the body upwardly through the dotted line position of Figure 1 and finally to position of v Figure 4. Thus, it will be observed that there is practically no upward lift of the center of gravity of the load during this dumping operation and therefore the power required for dumping is reduced to a minimum. When the body reaches the position of Figure 4, its movement is stopped by the co-action of hinge link 20 and by the limited telescoping action of the struts 10; this being the result of nuts 15 engaging the end of tubes 10.

After a load has been dumped, with the body still in dumping position, it can be used for leveling off, serving in this way as a grader blade. Vertical adjustment of this blade is made by a controlled movement of the body toward loading position effected by the hydraulic mechanism. It will be observed by reference to Figure 4, that the top edge of the rear end wall'of the body is sharpened as at 80 for grading and bulldozing purposes.

When it is desired to lower the dump body, the valve member BI is reversed and the action of the pump then causes the piston to be adjusted inwardly. This swings the body forwardly and permits its forward end to be lowered onto the supporting bar 34. Thus, both in lowering and raising the body, the movement is positive and at all times under control of the hydraulic cylinder.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is- I l 1. In a dumping vehicle, a frame, a dump body mounted thereby, a pair of tracks fixed relative to the frame and extended in an upwardly inclined direction rearwardly thereof, a transversely disposed swinging hinge link connecting the body at its dumping end with the rear end of the frame, supporting rollers on the body resting on said tracks and movable therealong, body dumping mechanism including "means for shifting the body rearwardly during a dumping operation whereby downward swinging of the hinge and travel of said rollers upwardly on the tracks causes the body to be tilted to dumping position, and struts fixed to the body and to the frame for limiting the extent of movement of the body toward dumping position.

2. In a dumping vehicle, a frame structure including parallel tracks extended lengthwise thereof in an upwardly inclined direction, a

dump body resting at its forward end on said 3. In a dumping vehicle, a frame structure in'- cluding parallel tracks extended lengthwise of the frame in an upwardly inclined direction, a dump body resting at its forward end on said frame, an upright swinging hinge link connecting the rearward end of the body with the frame below said tracks, rollers mounted on the body and resting on said tracks for movement therealong and a body dumping mechanism including a hydraulic cylinder, a piston operable therein, a longitudinal guideway on the frame, a cross head slidable in the guideway and operatively connected with said piston, a link connecting the cross head and body and means for controlling application of a pressure medium to the cylinder to effect movement of the piston in opposite directions for moving the body between load carrying and dumping positions.

4. A device as set forth in claim 2 wherein, telescopic struts are connected to the body and to the frame for limiting the movement of the body toward dumping position, and wherein seats are" provided at the lower ends of said tracks to seat said rolls to limit the forward movement of the body.

5. A, dump tractor comprising a frame structure including parallel, upwardly inclined tracks extending rearwardly thereof, a dump body, an upright swinging hinge link connecting the rearward end of the body with the frame below said tracks, a pair of rollers on the body resting on and movable along said tracks, apair of telescopic struts attached to the frame and to the end wall of the body to limit its dumping movement, a cross beam in the frame'for supporting the forward end of the body, said beam having upstanding lugs at its ends, and plates fixed to the body and formed with seats to receive said lugs and with guide flanges to engage the lugs to properly seat them.

FRANK H. LAMB. 

